Pumping system



' Dec. 19, 1939. A. M. GURLEY Er AL PUMPING SYSTEM Filed April 7, 1958 s sheets-sheet 1 Jawa/Hwa JM. GUKLEY, @l ./4. MGi/4.1156

Dec. 19, 1939.

A. M. GURLEY El AL PUMPING SYSTEM Filed April '7, 1938 A 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A. M. GURLr-:Y Er Al- PUMPING SYSTEM Filed April 7' 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Dec. 1'9, 1939 v PATENT oFFlcE y 2,183,560 PUMPmG SYSTEM Arnold M. Gurley and James M. Gun-ley,

Fort Worth, Tex.

Application April '7, 1938, Serial No. 200,763

. 4 Claims.

The invention relates to pumps'for oil or `water wells, the pump being of the type wherein the usual pump rod is eliminated, and a. working barrel containing a double headed piston is employed near the bottom of the well which is operated by uid pressure expended through one or the other of a pair of pipes communicating with saidpiston heads.

According to our invention we may employ the l same liquid which is being pumped as the lifting medium. Also according to our invention` We employ two vertical pipes extending into the well, through one of which pipes pressure iluid is applied to the piston while liquid is being ele- Avated through the other. These two liquid -columns largely balance eachy other so that the lifting strain is materially reduced. Valve means are provided for alternately directing the'pressure fluid to one column or the other and means are employed actuated by the back pressure which accumulates at the end ofeach pumping stroke, for automatically shifting the control valve.

Our improvements reside in the pumping sys- .25 tem as a whole, in the well pump per se, in the valve control mechanism and in the control valve,

which latter details contribute to the efficiency of the system as a whole.

The invention will be more readily understood `30 by reference to the accompanying drawings in which is illustratively set forth a specific embodi- .ment of the inventive thought involved. I

` In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation somewhat diagrammatic l `4|() Fig. 3 is an elevation showing the pressure control system including the control valve and the automatic valve actuating means.

Fig. 4 is a detail elevation showing the valve actuating mechanism. I 45 Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 6 is a detail vertical section showing one of the pressure cylinders forming part`\of the automatic control system. Fig. 'I is a front elevation showing the fluid 60 control valve and associated parts.

Fig. 8 is a vertical section on line 8-8 .of Fig. 9. j Fig. 9 is asection on line 9 9 of Fig. 7. 'Referring to the drawings in detail the reference numerl I0 denotes a pumping barrel generally cylindrical in shape which is lowered into a well containing liquid to be pumped, such as oil or water, the barrel being preferably wholly-sub-` merged in the liquid. The barrel is divided into two sections by means of a central casting I.I which separates a lower chamber I2 from an upperchamber I3, a piston head I4 working in the lower chamber and a second piston head I5 in the upper chamber, said heads being connected by a piston rod I6 which passes through suitable packing within the central casting.

The centralcasting II has a passage I'I com municating with the lower chamber I2 just above the-piston I4 and a passage I 8 communicating with the chamber I3 below the piston head I5 so 'that when fluid under pressure is applied through either of these passages the double headed piston will be driven in one direction or the other.

. lA pair of vertical pipes I9 and 20 are connected to the ports Il and I8 respectively andthrough these pipes alternately fluid pressure will be supplied to the double headed piston or liquid forced out by said piston, according to the position of a control. mechanism to be hereinafter described. f l

Below the casting II and in line with the pipe- 20 is an extension pipe 2| similar to the pipe 20 leading to the bottom of the barrel I0 and communicating therewith below the piston head I4 through a passage 22. in a bottom casting member 23 into which both the barrel Ill and the pipe 2l are screwed. A check valve 24 is located within the bottom of the casting and is designed to admit liquidv from the well but to prevent liquid l being forced out at this point, and a check valve j 22 is located at the bottom of pipe 2| which permitsfluid to ow upwardly while preventing downward ow into the passage 22.

At the upper end of the barrel I0 is a casting I or head 25 having a suction pipe 26 communicating laterallytherewith and provided with a suit-l able check valve 21 which permits liquid from the well to be drawn in but prevents liquid from flowing out. A central passage 28 through the casing 25A connects the upper chamber I3 with a pipe 29 leading upwardly to a control head 30 at the top of the well. A check valve 28 is located at the bottom of the pipe permitting liquid to flow upY but not down. As. shown the pipe I9 joins the pipe 29 at some position prior to its-connection to the control head .30. The pipe 20 also communicates with the control head 30 and a discharge pipe 3| is connected to the control head intermediate the two pipes 20 and 29, said discharge pipe leading to a suitable storage tank 32 having an outlet for withdrawing uid therefrom.

Pressure-fluid for operating the well pump may 'be delivered through a pipe 33 to a valve casing 34 shown as located at the top of the control head 30. The pressure iluid may be supplied by means of a pump of any well known or desired, type which may receivelits iiuid from the storage tank 32 through a connecting pipe 36.

Secured within the casing 34 by means of a set screw 31fis a hollow cylindrical sleeve member 38 having a pair of upper ports 39 and 4|) communioating with the uid pressure supply pipe 33 and three lower ports 4|, 42 and 43 communicating with passages 44, and 46 in the control head 30 which in turn communicate with the pipes 20, 3| and 29.

Rotatably mounted within the sleeve 38 is a valve plug 41,' generally cylindrical in shapeand fixedly carried upon a shaft 48 having its ends journaled in the ends of the casing 34 and provided with an operating lever 49 which is connected to suitable automatic actuating means to be hereinafter described, whereby the valve may be shifted at intervals to alternately connect and disconnect the pipes 20 and 29 to and from the source of fluid supply, the pipe which is disconnected from the fluid supply being at the same time connected to the discharge pipe 3|- as clearly illustrated in Fig. 8.

As shown the valve 41 is provided with two passageways and 5I extending therethrough and angularly arranged with reference to each other. Intermediate the passages 50 and 5| and at the periphery of the valve plug is a. by-pass groove 52. In the position shown in Fig. 8 the passage 50 connects the ports 39 and 4I in the sleeve 38 and thus places the pipe 2|)v in communication with the source of pressure while the ends of the passage 5| abut against the solid portion of the sleeve 38 so that pipe 29 is cut oi from the pressure fluid. In this position, however, the pipe 29 is connected to the 4pipe 3| so that the liquid being pumped up through the pipe 29 will ow through the passageway 46, bypass 52, passage 45 and pipe 3| to the storage tank 32.

When the valve 41 is shifted through a suitable angle the ends of passage 5| will be in registry with the ports 40 and 43 thus placing the pipe 29 in communication with the pressure supply while the pipe 20 is cut otI from said pressure supply but is placed in communication with the discharge pipe 3|.

'I'he operation of those parts of the apparatus which have been described will now be briey reviewed. Assuming the valve in thel positionl shown in Fig. 8, pressure is Asupplied through pipe 20 and passage I8 to the under portion of the piston head I5. Pressure fluid also passes down the pipe 2| but is prevented from entering the casting 23 by the check-valve 22'. 'I'he double headed piston is forced upwardly by means of the iiuid beneath the piston head I5 and any liquid which may be in the chambers I2 and I3 and in the pipes I9 and 29 is raised by the rising piston head. Any excess liquid passes through the by-pass connection 52 into discharge pipe 3| and thence to the storage tank 32.

The upward movement of the piston head I5 also raises the piston head I4 thus drawing liquid from the well into the bottom of the barrel past the check valve 24, filling that portion of the barrelbelow the piston I4. At the end of the piston stroke the control valve plug 41 will be shifted through the proper angle and the pressure iluid supply will then be placed in communication with the pipe 29, while the pipe 2|) is cut on. The' liquid passes down pipe 29 and the branch pipe I9, entranceof the pressure fluid into chamber la above the piston is being prevented by check valve 28' while the iluid passing down the pipe I9 and'through passage |1 in the central casting I| urges the piston I4 downwardly together with the piston head I5 connected thereto, liquid being thereby forced upwardly through pipes 2| and 2|) to the control head and thence out through the discharge pipe 3| while liquid is drawn into. the chamber I3 through the suction pipe 26. Asthe position of the control valve is intermittently7 shifted the alternation of the pump cycles. through pipes I9 and 20 continues as above described.

I have 'provided improved means for automatically shifting the control valve at the end of the piston stroke by means of the back pressure built up at the end of such stroke. As shown in Figs. 1, 3, 7 and 8 a pair of pipes 60 and 6| extend from opposite ends of the pressure head 30, the pipe communicating with the chamber 44 above the pipe 20 and the pipe 6| communieating with the chamber 46 above the pipe 29. As will be apparent at the end of each plunger stroke within the pumping barrel, back pressure is developed and such pressure will be transmitted' through one or the other of said pipes 60 or 6I. This back pressure is utilized-for automatically operating valve actuating means now to be described.

The automatic valve actuating means is shown as mounted upon a suitable frame, stand or support 62 located in the vicinity of the Huid control valve and pressure headl 36; .A wheel 63 for furnishing the power is shown as rotatably mounted upon a xed shaft64 carried by the pump 35. The wheel 63 is adapted to be continuously rotated from any suitable source of power as for example the motor (not shown) which actuates the pump 35. The power wheel is adapted to intermittently drive a valve control wheel 65 through 'suitable clutch mechanism which is thrown in and out at intervals. The control wheel 65 is herein shown as in the form of a spool and comprising two disks 65a and 65h connected by a hub 66 Vrotatable upon the shaft 64 upon which the power wheel is likewise mounted. The valve control wheel 65 is connected to the valvearm 49' by means of a connecting rod 41 which is attached to the -,outer face of disky 65a through an eccentrically mounted pin 68. By this means any rotation oithe wheel 65 will be imparted to the control valve plug 41.

Means are provided for automatically connecting or clutching the valve control wheel 65 to the continuously rotating wheel 63 at the end ot each stroke of the double headed plunger within the pumping barrel, the engagement between the two wheels continuing for an interval sufllcient to be engaged by a lug or plunger 10 carried by the control wheel 65 to lock the two wheels together. 'I'he plunger is shown as extending through an aperture in the disk 65h and a spring the cam surfaces of the two members 13 are .off contact between the flow line 33 and the 1| mounted about a guide pin 12 reacts between the inner face of disk 65a and the top of the lug 10 to constantly urge the member 10 toward the face of the driving wheel 63. Said lug 1li however is normally retracted by meansof one or the other of a pair of slidable'members 13, 13 carried in fixed guide members 14, 14 supported by the frame at opposite sides of the control wheel 65. The inner end of each of said slidable members is beveled as indicated at 15 so 1 as to form a cam surface. Itv will lbe noted that oppositely inclined. A finger 16 carried by the lug 10 normally rests upon the highest portion of the inclined surface 15, thus holding the plunger lug 10 out of engagement with the lugs V69 on the wheel 63. l

Each of the sliding. members 13 is provided with a notch 11 which is engaged by one arm 18 of a bell crank member pivotally mounted upon the frame at 19, the other end 86 of each bell crank being connected to one of a pair of springs 8l, 8| secured to the frame at 82. The arms 80, 80 of the bell crank members are normally held in horizontal position and rest upon push rods 83, 83. In `this position the arms 18, 18 of the bell crank members are vertical and the slide rods 13, 13 are in such position that their inner ends will be in the path of the extension nger 16 of the lug 10. Each push rod 83 is provided with a plunger 84 which includes a plurality of washers so as to establish a fluid tight connection with the interior of the cylinder within which the plunger works. Two such cylinders 85a and 85h are provided one beneath each of the bell crank members. The normal position of the push rod 83 is maintained by contact with the head of an adjusting bolt 86 which passes threadedly through the lower portion of the cylinder in which it is mounted. A strong coil spring 81 presses the plunger 84 into contact with the head of the adjusting rod. Each cylinder isl provided with a nipple 88 through which fluid under pressure may be supplied for operating the plunger 84 and push rod 83. As shown the lpressure line 60 is connected to the base of the within the pumping barrel I0 at the bottom of thev well, such pressure will be transmitted through line 60 or 6I to one of the' cylinders 85a or 85h. This pressure forces up one of the plungers 84 against tension of spring 81 thus raising the push rod 83 and causing it to engage' the arm 80 of the bell crank Il and causing the other arm 18 of the bell crank lever to move outwardly drawing with it the slide member 13 sufflciently so that its inner end will pass from beneath the finger 16, whereupon the spring 1I urges the' plunger lug 10 into the path of the lugs 19 on the wheel 63. Thereupon the two wheels 65 and 63 are temporarily clutched together and rotate in unison for a shortperiod. The rotation of the valve control wheel 65 is transmitted through connecting rod 61 to the arm 49, and thence to the-valve plug 41. As soon as the valve has rotated sufficiently to cut pipe l2li back pressure ceases to be transmitted through the pipe 60 to the cylinder 85a and the push rodl 83 is returned to its normal positionby the spring 81 thus moving the slide 13 to its.

normal positon. Meantime the control wheel 65 continues to rotate with the wheel 63 until the finger 16 carried by the wheel 65 reaches the cam surface 15 of the slide rod on the opposite side from the one with which it was previously.

This operation of course withdraws the lug orA plunger 1li from clutching engagement with the lugs 69 whereupon the wheels 65 and 63 are disengaged, the wheel 65 being held stationary and the wheel 63 continuing its rotation. When the parts have. reached this position the plug of the` pressure control valve will have rotated to such a position that pressure fluid from the supply pipe 33 will now be supplied to the other of the two pipes 20 or 29. Assuming that the pressure fluid is supplied to the pipe 29 the double plunger within the pumping barrel I0 will move to the end of its stroke, whereupon back pressure will be built up within the chamber 46 in the pressure head 30 and transmitted through the pipe 6I to the cylinder 85h thus retracting the other slide rod 13 and releasing the movable lugv or plunger 10 so that it will engage the lugs\69 on the rotatable wheel 63 and cause a further rotation of the control valve. This process continues intermittently and automatically as long as the power wheel 63 continues to rotate.

The invention has been described in detail for the purpose of illustration but it will be apparent that many variations and modifications may be 'resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

We claim:

-1. In a pumping system of the type wherein a fluid pressure pump of the reciprocating plunger type is provided with two lines leading thereto and adapted to alternately supply pressure fluid to said pump and withdraw fluid which has been acted on lby the pump plunger, and valve means areprovided for alternately connecting one of said pipes to a source of pressure and the other to a discharge line; means, for shifting the valve at the end of each stroke of the pump plunger, automatically initiated by the back pressure developed at the end of the plunger stroke, said means comprising a continuously rotating power wheel, a valve control wheel having a pitman connecting the same to said valve for rotating the same, and means actuated by the backpressure built up in one or the other of said pump lines at the end of each plunger stroke for automatically connecting said valve control wheel to said power wheel, and mechanical means for dis-f engaging the valve control wheel whenv the valve has reached the position to permit pressure uid to be supplied to the second of the pump lines.

2. A control mechanism as set forth in claim 1, wherein a spring pressed plunger carriedl by the-valve control wheel is automatically released to engage a lug on the power wheel when back pressure is built up in one of said pump lines, and is again retracted when the valve has moved to the position to supply pressure to the other ine.

3. Forusevin a pumping system of the type wherein a fluid pressure pump of the reciprocating plunger type is provided with two lines leading thereto and adapted to alternately supply pressure fluid to said pump and withdraw fluid which has been acted on by the pump plunger, and rotatable valve means are provided for alternately connecting one of said pipes to a source of pressure and the other to a discharge line; control mechanism for shifting the valve at the end of each stroke of the pump' plunger, automatically initiated by the back pressure developed at the end of the plunger stroke, said control mechanism comprising a continuously rotating driving member, a driven valve actuating member, means actuated by the back pressure built up in one or the other of said pump lines at the end of each plunger stroke for automatically clutching said valve actuating member to said driving member, and mechanical means for disengaging the valve control member from the driving member when the valve has reached the position to permit pressure fluid to be supplied to the second of the pump lines.

4. For use in a pumping system of the type wherein a fluid pressure pump of the reciprocating plunger type is provided with two lines leady ing thereto and adapted to alternately supply pressure fluid to said pump and withdraw fluid which has been acted on by the pump plunger, and rotatable valve means are provided for alternately connecting one of said pipes to a source of pressure and the other to a discharge line; control mechanism for shifting the valve at the end of each stroke of the pump plunger, automatically initiated by the back pressure developed at the end of the plunger stroke, said control mechanism comprising a continuously rotating driving member, a driven valve actuating member, said driving and driven members being provided the one with a plurality of spaced lugs, and the other with a normally retracted spring-pressed finger adapted when released to be projected into the path of said lugs, means adapted to be actuated by back pressure built up in one or the other of said pump lines at the end of each plunger stroke for releasing said spring-pressed nger, whereby said driven member is momentarily clutched to the driving member for actuating said valve, and means for retracting said finger when the valve has been actuated.

ARNOLD M. GURLEY. J. M. GURLEY. 

